Print issue 2022
It is a privilege to climb untracked mountains covered deeply in snow and then ski them. I think most of you will agree with me on this one. If I continue and claim that ski touring is a luxury activity that is largely meaningless in terms of the common good, it will be too provocative and heretical for one or the other.
Note the word “largely” because, of course, some aspects and attributes of this unique, beautiful and satisfying activity are absolutely positive and good.
Consciously abandoning a plan is, for example, one such facet of ski touring. One is confronted repeatedly with the practice of renunciation as part of every ski tour. Whether it is the practice of renunciation when choosing a route due to the avalanche situation, steepness or exposure, or the existential renunciation in the course of the tour due to snowpack, critical weak snow layers or poor visibility. Conscious renunciation sharpens the senses for the essentials, not only in ski touring.
Starting this year, we are abandoning the high-quality but not entirely environmentally friendly cold foil that has adorned BACKLINE for the past 11 years and present the twelfth issue in a slightly revised design.
Once again, 13 diverse stories from the backcountry await, taking you to remote destinations around the world and perhaps also encouraging you to tackle one or two of them in the forthcoming winter. And they may and should also encourage you always to have the courage to renounce.
Many thanks to all those who have made this issue possible. We wish you a safe and snowy winter.
Österreich · Stubai Alps
Everything used to be better! Really? Is it true? Freeriding did not exist the way it does today. Untracked powder after a snow storm was available and untouched for days and not tracked within a few hours. The snow was whiter, and there were skiers who skied off-piste and…
2022 · Anton Brey · 4 min
Italien · Tre Cime di Lavaredo
The motorhome is purring; U2’s “Raised by Wolves“ accompanies our drive along the western shore of Lake Garda. After a fantastic day at Pizzo Tambo in Grisons, Mäx and I set our sights on the second destination of our motorhome trip. We are heading for the Tre Cime region. Mäx…
2022 · Martin Fiala · 4 min
Pakistan · Karakorum
Seeing the movie „La Liste - Everything or Nothing“ put a big grin on my face. Fast skiing was always part of my life, so seeing the fast skiing skills of Jérémie Heitz excited me. It was on the back of my mind for some time to run a story with this fast guy. He is one of those…
2022 · Martin Fiala · 4 min
Frankreich · Mont Blanc Group
The quest to keep painting fresh tracks into the snow in the mountains around Chamonix has taken up most of my time since 2010. Whether searching for new lines or repeating the classics: Observation is always crucial. It starts as early as summer, when the mountains are not yet…
2022 · Yannick Boissenot · 3 min
Norwegen · Lofoten
We’ve spent the past years trying to describe the transformation the mountains are undergoing due to climate change by showing pristine places and beautiful landscapes that highlight how unique our planet is and how lucky we are to live here. Today, more than ever, the question…
2022 · Lorenzo Alesi, Alice Linari · 4 min
Schweiz · Valais Alps (Mattertal)
The winter of 2022 will not be remembered by many as a particularly snowy one in the Alps. Down in the valley, spring has long since arrived, and looking out of the window of the cab that takes us from the train station up to Täschalp, the green hues clearly dominate. The taxi…
2022 · Andreas Brunner · 4 min
USA · Lake Tahoe (Sierra Nevada)
My lungs pump cold winter air as I follow the skin track through the snow-covered trees. It’s a magical, windless morning. I feel like I’ve stepped into a candy land. Somewhere behind the gray-blue clouds, the sun is rising on the other side of the lake. It’s February in Lake…
2022 · Julie Brown · 4 min
Frankreich · Mont Blanc Group (Chamonix)
After a challenging winter that left many powder dreams unfulfilled, we are off to the Western Alps, Chamonix. The mere sound of the name fires our dreams. In our minds, we can already envision ourselves skiing down these famous walls. It has to be steep, alpine, a bit scary,…
2022 · Andreas Vigl · 4 min
Europa · Alps
Climb the highest peak of each of the seven Alpine countries on touring skis in exactly one week: That was the initial plan of four ambitious adventurers. Stable weather conditions, good conditions on the mountain, sufficient fitness for 53,000 vertical feet, little sleep, a lot…
2022 · Philipp Reiter · 4 min
Japan · Hidaka / Mt. Chokai
When you think of skiing in Japan, do you think of Japow, Hakuba or Niseko? If so, you have only scratched the surface. Mt. Chokai is a 7,336-foot volcano facing the Sea of Japan, exposed to cold waves from the Eurasian continent. In midwinter, the weather is harsh and…
2022 · Kei Karino · 4 min
Norwegen · Lyngen Alps
For a skier and photographer, the Lyngen Alps are a dream destination with their mind-blowing nature and skiing. The mountain range is located on the Lyngen Peninsula, at almost 70 degrees north, and it’s one of the most alpine mountain areas in Norway. It has around 140…
2022 · Vegard Aasen · 4 min
USA · Stuart Range
The Stuart Range lies between dry desert and verdant forests. A topography of steep, weather-worn granite towers, of which ten rank among the 100 highest peaks in Washington State, dominates the glacial-carved valleys. Cupped in every low spot are lakes. They reside where once…
2022 · Jason Hummel · 4 min
Schweden · Sarek National Park
With its 6,578 feet, Pårtetjåkko is considered Sweden’s easiest and most accessible peak above 6,500 feet. It is located 15 miles from the nearest road. The mountain is part of the Sarek National Park, often referred to as „Europe’s last wilderness“. The park in the northwestern…
2022 · Fredrik Schenholm · 4 min
